Apparatus for providing a finished knitted fabric with predetermined dimensions



y 3, 1963 R. BRUNNER 3,098,279

APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING A FINISHED KNITTED FABRIC WITH PREDETERMINED DIMENSIONS Filed July 22, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 23, 1963 R. BRUNNER 3,098,279

APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING A FINISHED KNITTED Filed July 22, 1960 FABRIC WITH PREDETERMINED DIMENSIONS INVENTOR.'

6 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 23, 1963 R. BRUNNER 7 APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING A FINISHED KNITTED FABRIC WITH PREDETERMINED DIMENSIONS Filed July 22, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEN TOR.

July 23, 1963 BRUNNER 3,098,279

APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING A FINISHED KNITTED FABRIC WITH PREDETERMINED DIMENSIONS Filed July 22. 1960 e Sheets-Sheet 4 INV EN TOR.

July 23, 1963 BRUNNER 3,098,279

APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING A FINISHED KNITTED FABRIC WITH PREDETERMINED DIMENSIONS Filed July 22, 1960 6 SheetsSheet 5 Euumlbm INV EN TOR.

BY Mg m July 23, 1963 BRUNNER 3,098,279

APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING A FINISHED KNITTED FABRIC WITH PREDETERMINED DIMENSIONS Filed July 22, 1960 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 76' M 5 m. k V Ill/III A "(Am 35 IN V EN TOR.

3,098,279 APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING A FINEHED KNITTED FABRIC WITH PREDETERMWED DIMENSIONS Robert Brenner, 165 Dachslern Shasse, Zurich, Switzerland Filed July 22, 1960, Ser. No. 44,738 Claims priority, application Switzerland Jan. 24, 1957 (Ilaims. (Cl. 26-185) The present invention relates to an apparatus for providing a shrink-proof knitted fabric.

More particularly, the present invention deals with the provision of such a fabric in tubular form. Thus, the tube of fabric may be provided from a circular knitting machine or from a flat-bed machine with the sheet of fabric obtained from the machine sewn or otherwise joined together at its side edges so as to form a tube.

This application is a continuation-in-part of copending application Serial No. 710,549, filed January 22, 1958, and entitled Process for Providing a Finished Knitted Fabric With Predetermined Dimensions in the Direction of Its Length and Its Width, now U.S. Patent No. 3,044,142.

During the manufacture of a tubular fabric of the above type, the fabric is necessarily stretched longitudinally during the treatment thereof, which includes washing, bleaching, dyeing, and the like. When the fabric is dried the loops thereof are fixed in an elongated condition which is longer than the length of the loops when they a are unstressed, and the result is that when the finished fabric subsequently is washed in warm water the loops become unstressed and decrease in length so as to result in undesirable shrinkage.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which will produce a fabric of the above type which is shrink-proof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which is capable of producing a shrinkproof fabric in an economical manner which makes it feasible to treat relatively small batches of fabric.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which is capable of providing a shrink-proof fabric which is no more expensive than conventional fabrics.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for producing a shrink-proof fabric and capable of being incorporated into present-day known textile treating apparatus without any difficulty.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which is capable of treating the fabric in a continuous, uninterrupted manner so as to render it shrink-proof.

With the above objects in view, the present invention includes, in an apparatus for producing a finished knitted fabric whose loops are of a predetermined size which will not change as a result of subsequent washing of the fabric, a suitable form located in the tube of knitted fabric and along which the fabric is moved by a suitable moving means, the tube of fabric being expanded transversely by the form. This expansion in a transverse direction causes the loops of the knitted fabric to contract in a longitudinal direction, and immediately after the form are located a pair of band means which cooperate with each other to receive the tube of fabric from the form and to transport the fabric away from the form, the pair of band means holding the fabric so that the loops thereof cannot change their longitudinal dimensions. A means is provided at a portion of one of the band means for moving this portion thereof away from an opposite portion of the other of the band means and 3,098,279 Patented July 23, 1963 for holding the portion of the first band means at a predetermined distance fromthe opposite portion of the other band means so as to provide between the portions of the pair of band means, respectively, a gap of predetermined thickness through which the tube of fabric moves. In this gap the tube of fabric is capable of transversely contracting in a manner controlled by the adjusted thickness of the gap, and the control of the size of this gap is such that the tube contracts due to its own resiliency until the width of the loops of the knitted fabric is of a predetermined size. Thereafter the fabric is fixed and finished.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of one possible structure constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the structure of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional side elevation taken along line 33 of FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a front elevation on an enlarged scale of a form and moving means according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a sectional plan view taken along line 55 of FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 6 is a sectional side elevation on an enlarged scale of the form of the invention, FIG. 6 being taken along line 66 of FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating parts of a pair of band means of the invention and structure cooperating therewith;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional plan taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 4 in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary transverse section on an enlarged scale taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 3 in the direction of the arrows.

The structure of the present invention does not increase the cost of manufacturing the fabric because it replaces the conventional calendering structure. At the place where the conventional calenden'ng structure would be located, the structure of the present invention is lo cated, so that in this way there is no appreciable increase in the cost of the apparatus of the present invention.

The structure of the invention includes several distinct assemblies which form different units of the entire organization. All of these distinct assemblies are carried by a stationary frame which includes a plurality of stationary uprights 101 and a plurality of horizontal supporting beams in the form of angle irons 102 which extend longitudinally of the machine from the front to the rear thereof.

The structure of the invention includes the form 3 which serves as an expansion means for transversely expanding a tube of fabric in which the form 3 is located. The fabric is moved longitudinally along the form 3 by a moving means according to the present invention. The fabric is received after it leaves the form 3 by a pair of band means 4 which continue the transportation of the fabric beyond the form. Along the path through which the fabric is moved by the pair of band means 4 (FIG. 2.) is located a fixing means 5 which treats the fabric with steam and fixes the fabric so that the dimensions of the loops thereof will not change, and a finishing means 6 in the form of rollers which press the fabric is located along the path of movement of the fabric after the fixing 3 means 5. The entire structure is driven from a single electric motor 7.

The unfinished fabric in the form of a knitted tube is located in a turnable container 1 which has an open top. This container is supported in any suitable way for turning movement about a vertical central axis. The finished fabric 9 passes, after leaving the finishing means 6 through a device 10 which turns back and forth as shown by the arrows at the upper left of FIG. 2 for depositing the finished fabric 9 in layers connected together by folds in the fabric.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 4, and 6, it will be seen that the form 3 which transversely stretches the tube of fabric is provided with a pair of structures 11 and 12 at its opposite sides, respectively, .and these structures 11 and 12 are mirror images of each other. Each of these structures includes a pair of elongated bars 13 which are parallel to each other and which extend longitudinally along the form in the direction which the tube of fabric moves. A pair of pulleys 15 .and 16 are located between each pair of bars 13 and are supported for rotation about their axes by pins which extend between and interconnect the bars with each other, and a second pair of pulleys 17 and 18 are located respectively behind and are coaxial with the pulleys 15 and 16 which are visible in FIG. 4. The arrangement of the pulleys 17 and 18 with respect to the pulleys 15 and 16 is indicated in FIG. 6. A third pair of pulleys 19 and 20 are also located between each pair of bars 13 and are supported for rotation about their axes by pins which extend between and interconnect the bars, and the lower pulley 19 is located between and co-axial with the pulleys 16 and 18. The pulleys 19 and 20 are of a smaller diameter than the pulleys 1513. At the bottom or entrance end of the form the pair of bars 13 at each side of the form turnably support a roller 21, while at the top or discharge end of the form the bars carry the members 22, respectively, which have outer side edges which cause, by their inclination, the form to converge to a limited extent toward the pair of band means 4, as is clearly indicated in FIGS. 1 and 4.

The pulleys 16, 18 and 19 are fixed to a common shaft 23 extending between each pair of bars 13, and the pulleys 15 and 16 cooperate with a belt 24, while the pulleys 17 and. 1S cooperate with a belt 25 (FIG. 6), and the pulleys 20 and 19 cooperate with a belt 26. These belts 24-26 may be made of rubber or plastic. The pulleys 1518 all have the same diameter which is larger than the diameter of the pulleys 19 and 20, as was pointed out above. Since the pulley 19 rotates at the same angular speed as the pulleys 16 and 18, it is evident that the belt 26 has a linear speed which is less than the linear speed of the belts 24 and 25. Between each pair of bars 13 there is also located a pair of rollers 27 which cooperate with the belts 24 and 25 in a manner shown most clearly in FIG. 4 and described below in connection with the rollers 74 and 75, and these rollers 27 are freely rotatable on shafts 28 which extend between and are fixed to the pair of bars 13.

The form 3 further includes transverse bars 29 and 30 which carry the lateral elongated structures 11 and 12 and on which these structures are laterally shiftable for adjusting the width of the form 3. Thus, as is shown most clearly in FIG. 4, the several bars 29 and 30 are formed with elongated slots 103, and these bars extend slidably through straps 104 which are fixed to the bars 13 in the manner shown in FIG. 4. Of course, a pair of bars 29 and 30 are located behind those illus trated in FIG. 4 and the pair of bars 13 behind those in FIG. 4 also carry straps through which the bars 29 and 30 are slidable, as is indicated in FIG. 6. The several straps 104 are formed with openings through which screw members 106 respectively extend, these screw members 106 being respectively fixed to the bars 13 and also extending respectively through the slots 103. A plurality of wing nuts 105 are threadedly carried by the screws 106, and upon loosening of these nuts it is possible to shift the structures 11 and 12 along the bars 29 and 30, and after the width of the form has been set the nuts 105 are tightened so as to fix the bars 29 and 30 with the bars 13 in order to maintain the form in its adjusted position.

Between the lateral structures 11 and 12, the bars 29 and 30 carry frame members 31, 32 and 33 (FIGS. 4 and 6), and these frame members serve to stretch the tube of fabric forwardly and rearwardly so that the fabric is uniformly stretched about its entire circumference as it moves along the form 3.

The pair of band means 4 includes the cloth endless bands 34 and 35 which are driven by a common driving roll 36. The upper endless fabric band 34 runs over the rolls 37, 38 and 39 as well as over the pair of pressing rolls 42 and '43 of the finishing means 6 (FIG. 3).

The lower band 35 is guided over the rolls 44 and 47 as well as the pair of pressing rolls 45 and 46 of the finishing means 6. Thus, as is shown most clearly in PEG. 3, the rolls 42 and 45 form one pair of cooperating pressing rolls, while the rolls 43 and 46 form another pair of cooperating pressing rolls of the finishing means 6. The fixing means 5 is arranged between the driving roll 36 and the pair of pressing rolls 42 and 45, and the pair of band means pass through the fixing means which includes, as shown in FIG. 3, a lower container 48 for steam which is sprayed from the tubes 49.

The bands 34 and 35 must be smooth and must not resist the movement of air through the hands. They can be made of cotton or any other natural or synthetic fiber. They may also be made of metal fibers.

As is shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, each of the bands 34 and 35 is provided at its side edges with eyes 76 in which springs 77 are hooked, and these springs 77 are hooked at their ends distant from the bands 34 and 35 to chains 78 and 79. These chains cooperate with sprockets which are carried by the same shafts which carry the several rolls which are engaged by the bands 34 and 35 (FIG. 1) so that the chains follow along the same paths as the pair of bands, respectively, and are only located laterally beyond the bands. Each of these chains 78 and 79 carries at its side edges (FIG. 7) which are directed toward the pair of hands -a plurality of brackets formed with holes into which the springs 77 are hooked. The chains 78 and 79 turn so as to move together with the bands 34 and 35, and these bands move at the same speed. Thus, the springs 77 guarantee that the fabric bands will not laterally contract and will remain smooth. The chains 78 and 79 are driven by sprocket wheels 82 and 83 (FIG. '1) which are located on a common shaft 81.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the drive is delivered to the apparatus of the invention from the motor 7 by a chain 50 to a sprocket Wheel 51 which is mounted on a shaft 52 which carries a sprocket wheel 53 and a V-belt pulley 54 (FIG. 5). The sprocket wheel 53 continues the transmission from the sprocket wheel 51 through a chain 55 to the driving roll 36. Specifically, the chain 55 cooperates with a sprocket wheel 57 fixed to the same shaft which fixedly carries the driving roll 36, and a sprocket wheel 56 is provided for maintaining the tension in the chain 55. All of the several bearings for the shafts which carry the rolls and the sprocket wheels are mounted on the beams 102.

The shaft 52 extends across the entire width of the machine and carries at its right end, as viewed in FIG. 5, the above-mentioned V-belt pulley 54. This pulley cooperates with a V-belt 58 to drive another V-belt pulley 59 which is fixed to a shaft 60 which is located in front of and parallel to the shaft 52. This shaft 60 fixedly carries a pinion 61 which meshes with a gear 62 which is fixedly carried by a shaft 63, so that in this way the latter shaft is driven. On the shaft 63 are located a pair of bevel gears 64 and 65 which are respectively located laterally beyond the form 3 and to the rear thereof. The hubs of the bevel gears 64 and 65 have projections extending into grooves which extend axially of the shaft 63, so that a spline connection is formed enabling the longitudinal position of the bevel gears 64 and 65 on the shaft 63 to be adjusted, and, the bevel gears 64 and 65 respectively fixedly carry collars 197 formed with threaded bores in which set screws 108 are respectively located, so that these screws may be tightened to fix the bevel gears 64 and 65 at adjusted positions along the shaft 63. Thus, the bevel gears 64 and 65 are driven by the shaft 63 since they are compelled to rotate therewith, and these gears respectively mesh with a pair of additional bevel gears 66 and 67 whose axes are parallel to each other and respectively normal to the common axis of the bevel gears 64 and 65. The bevel gears 66 and 67 are respectively fixed to shafts 72 and 73 which extend from the bevel gears 66 and 67 forwardly to positions alongside of the form 3. The pair of bevel gears 66 and 67 are carried by a pair of carriers 68 and 69 which are laterally shiftable along the transverse rods 73' and 71 turnably supported by suitable brackets of a pair of uprights 101 and located behind the form 3. Any suitable set screws or the like may be provided for fixing the carries 68 and 69 in an adjusted position on the transverse bars 78* and 71. The front ends of the shafts 72 and 73 which are turnably supported by the carriers 68 and 69 respectively fixedly carry drive rolls 74 and 75 which respectively press against the belts 24 and 25 at each side of the form 3. The drive rolls 74 and 75 extend partway into the space between the rollers 27 and the pulleys 16, 18 and 19 (FIG. 4) thereabove at each side of the form 3, so that the rolls 74 and 75 transmit the drive frictionally to the belts 24 and 25 at each side of the form 3, and furthermore the entire form 3 which forms a unit completely separate from all of the other structure is supported by the driving rolls 74 and 75.

The above-described structure operates as follows:

The tube of fabric which is located in the turnable container 1 has been wet and subsequently dried before being placed in the container 1. The tube of unfinished fabric 2 is stretched over the form 3 which is located within the tube 2, and in this way the tube of knitted fabric is transversely stretched so that its cross-sectional area increases. In this way the length of the loops becomes shorter and their width increases.

The loops of the yarn of the knitted fabric have a predetermined length when the yarn is unstressed, and if the loops of the finished fabric have the same length then the fabric will not shrink because there will be no stresses to relieve and no change in the length of the loops when the finished fabric is subsequently washed. The form 3 has such a size that the transverse stretching of the tube of fabric on the form 3 results in a reduction in the length of the loops to a length which the loops have when the yarn is unstressed. Thus, the loops are provided with the proper length by the expansion means 3. It will be noted, however, that the width of the loops is greater than the width which the loops have when the yarn is unstressed as a result of the expansion provided by the form 3. The tube moves along both the lateral structures 11 and 12 of the form 3 between these lateral structures and the driving rolls 74 and 75, and the distance between the lateral structures 11 and 12 is adjusted in the manner described above to provide the desired transverse stretching of the tube while it moves longitudinally along the form 3. The tube of fabric engages the rollers 21 and extends along the outer runs of the belts 24 and 25 between the latter and the driving rolls 74 and 75, so that these belts and the pulleys which support the same as well as the driving rolls 74 and 75 form a moving means which moves the fabric longitudinally along the expansion means 3. As was pointed out above, the lateral stretching of the fabric results in a shortennig in the length of the loops thereof, and in order to guarantee that this shortening of the loops takes place also at the sides of the tube 2 which engage the belts 24 and 25, the belts 26 are moved at different speeds than the belts 24 and 25 in the manner described above. In this way the length of all of the loops is adjusted to the proper size. The lateral positions of the carriers 68 and 69 control the pressure with which the driving rolls 74 and 75 press the fabric against the belts 24 and 25 which are driven by the rolls 74 and 75 frictionally through the fabric itself. As was pointed out above, the frames 31 and 32 which extend forwardly and rearwardly guarantee a uniform lateral expansion of the tube around the entire circumference thereof. The frames 31-33 diverge upwardly from the bottom ends and then converge as they approach their top extremities, as is evident from FIGS. 2 and 6. Thus, as the fabric approaches the top end of the form 3 the lateral expansion thereof is reduced. This effect is also provided by the head members 22 carried at the top ends of the structures '11 and Y12, respectively, which converge to a limited degree toward the top extremity of the form 3-. Thus, the stretched tube of unfinished fabric due to its own inherent resiliency contracts itself at the top end portion of the form 3 to provide an automatic movement of the fabric from the form 3.

If all of the transverse expansion of the tube of fabric were released at the top of the form 3, then the loops would resume their original size and nothing would be accomplished. Thus, the carefully controlled length provided in the loops by the transverse stretching produced by the form 3 must be maintained when the fabric leaves the form 3, and for this purpose the fabric is immediate ly gripped by the pair of band means 4 as soon as the fabric reaches the top end of the form 3, as is particularly apparent from FIGS. 2 and 6. The bands 34 and 35 grip the fabric and continue the longitudinal transportation thereof without, however, pulling the fabric from the form 3. This effect is achieved by carefully controlling the speed with which the bands 34 and 35 are driven. The fabric which leaves the form 3 is nipped on the one hand between the rolls 37 and 44, which is to say, between the bands 34 and 35 at the points where the latter engage the rolls 37 and 44, respectively, and on the other hand between the hands 34 and 35 at the point where the band 35 presses against the common driving roll 36, so that between the rolls 37 and 44, on the one hand, and the roll 36, on the other hand, the length of the loops and of the fabric cannot change. 'In this way the longitudinal dimension of the loops is maintained.

A portion of the bands 34 and 35 located between the roll 36, on the one hand, and the rolls 37 and 44, on the other hand, pass between plates 84 and 35 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. These plates extend all the way across the bands 34 and 35. The lower plate 85 is stationary and is supported at its ends on suitable brackets which are carried by a pair of uprights 1&1. The lower band 35 slides along the upper face of the lower plate 85. The upper plate 84, however, is supported in such a way that it is capable of being moved toward and away from the portion of the band 34 between the rolls 37 and 36 in a direction which is perpendicular to this portion of the band, so that the space between the plates 84 and 85 can be adjusted. Thus, as may be seen from FIGS. 2 and t3, the upper plate 84, which also extends completely across the band 34 is fixedly carried at its upper side by a plurality of threaded bolts 119, and these bolts extend respectively through openings formed in a transverse bar 11 which is fixedly carried at its ends by a pair of brackets 112 which are respectively fixed to a pair of angle irons 102 at opposite sides of the frame 100. Each of the bolts carries a pair of lock nuts 113 respectively located on opposite sides of the bar 11 1, so that througth these look nuts it is possible to precisely adjust the position of the upper plate 84 and to fixedly maintain this plate 84 in this adjusted position.

Referring to FIGS. 2, 3, and 9, it will be seen that at each side of the machine of the invention a pair of sprocket wheels 49 and 41 are supported for rotation on shafts which are carried by suitable brackets. The sprocket wheels 40 and 41 at each side of the machine mesh with the chains 78 which are also located at each side of the machine, and the diameter of these sprocket wheels 40 and 41 is such that they act through the chains 78 and the springs 77 on the band 34 at the portion thereof which at any instant engages the plate 84 to maintain this band 34 at the latter portion thereof in slidable engagement with the lower face of the plate 84, so that in this way the position of the plate 34 precisely determines the gap between the bands 34 and 35 at the portion of these bands which is located between the roll 35, on the one hand, and the rolls 37 and 44, on the other hand.

As was pointed out above, the length of the tube of fabric cannot change between the rolls 36 and 37, 44 so that the length of the loops of the fabric is maintained at the regulated desired length. However, by providing the gap between the bands as they pass through the plates 84 and S with a suitable thickness, a controlled release of the lateral expansion of the fabric is provided in the gap between the bands, and this controlled release is regulated by adjustment of the plate 84 so as to guarantee that the band contracts transversely until the loops of the knitted fabric have a width which is equal to the width of the loops in the unstressed condition of the yarn. The greater the distance between the plates 84 and 85 the more the fabric is capable of transversely contracting.

Thus, as the tube of fabric moves to the left beyond the common driving roll 36, as viewed in FIG. 3, the loops of the fabric will have the condition in which they will not shrink due to further washing after the loops are fixed in this condition. Thus, by fixing the fabric in the condition it has when leaving the roll 36, the fabric will be fixed in a shrink-proof state. Immediately after leaving the roll 36 the fabric passes through the fixing means 5 where hot steam is sprayed onto the fabric from the tubes 49 and in which the fabric is fixed in a known way. Thereafter, while the fabric is still located between the bands 34 and 35 it passes with these bands between the pairs of pressing rolls 42, 45 and 43, 46 which provide the fabric with a glossy, smooth finish, and thereafter the band 34 passes around the roll 43 back to the roll 37, while the band 35 continues to the roll 47 to carry the fabric which is now finished to this roll 47 from which the fabric passes through the device which swings back .and forth for depositing the finished fabric 9 in the layers shown at the left of FIG. 3.

Thus, the apparatus of the present invention provides a shrink-proof fabric in a single continuous operation.

With certain types of textiles it may be advisable to steam the fabric in a transversely expanded condition before it enters into the bands 34 and 35.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of apparatus for providing a shrink-proof fabric differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in apparatus for providing a shrink-proof fabric in one operation, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In an apparatus for manufacturing a finished knitted tubular fabric which is shrink-proof, in combination, an expansion form adapted to be located within a tube of unfinished knitted fabric for transversely expanding the same; moving means cooperating with said form for moving a tube of fabric in which the form is located longitudinally along said form so that the fabric is transversely expanded while it moves along said form; a pair of band means adjacent said form for receiving the tube of fabric therefrom and for transporting the fabric from said form, said pair of band means engaging each other and gripping the tube of fabric therebetween to prevent longitudinal contraction of the tube of fabric; means cooperating with a portion of one of said band means for locating said portion thereof at a predetermined distance from an opposite portion of the other of said band means to provide a predetermined gap between said portions of said pair of band means, respectively, in which the tube of fabric is capable of contracting transversely in a controlled manner while being longitudinally transported by said pair of band means; fixing means located along the path through which said pair of band means move the tube of fabric for fixing the latter to prevent further changes in the loops of the knitted fabric after the fabric moves beyond said fixing means; and finishing means located along said path through Which said pair of band means moves the tube of fabric after said fixing means for finishing the fabric after it is moved beyond said fixing means by said pair of band means.

2. In an apparatus for manufacturing a finished knitted tubular fabric which is shrink-proof, in combination, an expansion form adapted to be located within a tube of unfinished knitted fabric for transversely expanding the same; moving means cooperating with said form for moving a tube of fabric in which the form is located longitudinally along said form so that the fabric is transversely expanded while it moves along said form; a pair of band means adjacent said form for receiving the tube of fabric therefrom and for transporting the fabric from said form, said pair of band means engaging each other and gripping the tube of fabric therebetween to prevent longitudinal contraction of the tube of fabric, each of said pair of band means being in the form of an endless porous fabric band, spring means cooperating with the side edges of each band for preventing transverse contraction thereof; and means cooperating with a portion of one of said band means for locating said portion thereof at a predetermined distance from an opposite portion of the other of said band means to provide a predetermined gap between said portions of said pair of band means, respectively, in which the tube of fabric is capable of contracting transversely in a controlled manner while being longitudinally transported by said pair of band means.

3. In an apparatus for manufacturing a finished knitted tubular fabric which is shrink-proof, in combination, an expansion form adapted to be located within a tube of unfinished knitted fabric for transversely expanding the same; moving means cooperating with said form for moving a tube of fabric in which the form is located longitudinally along said form so that the fabric is transversely expanded while it moves along said form; a pair of band means adjacent said form for receiving the tube of fabric therefrom and for transporting the fabric from said form, said pair of band means engaging each other and gripping the tube of fabric therebetween to prevent longitudinal contraction of the tube of fabric, said form having a pair of elongated sides which are mirror images of each other and said form carrying at each of its sides two pairs of coextensive pulleys and a belt cooperating with each pair, a third pair of pulleys and a third belt cooperating with said third pair of pulleys, all of said belts and pulleys forming part of said moving means and said third pair of pulleys and third belt being located nearer to said pair of band means than said two pairs of pulleys and corresponding belts and having an end portion distant from said pair of band means extending between the two pairs of pulleys, the pulley of said third pair which is most distant from said pair of band means being coaxial with and located between two of the pulleys which cooperate with said two belts; and means cooperating with a portion of one of said band means for locating said portion thereof at a predetermined distance from an opposite portion of the other of said band means to provide a predetermined gap between said portions of said pair of band means, respectively, in which the tube of fabric is capable of contracting transversely in a controlled manner while being longitudinally transported by said pair of band means.

4. In a apparatus for manufacturing a finished knitted tubular fabric which is shrink-proof, in combination, an expansion form adapted to be located within a tube of unfinished knitted fabric for transversely expanding the same, said form having an end portion which converges to a limited degree so that the transversely stretched tube of fabric contracts transversely to a limited degree at said end portion of said form to automatically move away from said form at said end portion thereof and said form having a pair of elongated sides which are mirror images of each other and said form carrying at each of its sides two pairs of coextensive pulleys and a belt cooperating with each pair, a third pair of pulleys and a third belt cooperating with said third pair of pulleys, all of belts and pulleys forming part of said moving means hereinafter defined and said third pair of pulleys and third belt being located nearer to said end portion of said form than said two pairs of pulleys and corresponding belts and having an end portion distant from said first-mentioned end portion extending between the two pairs of pulleys, the pulley of said third pair which is most distant from said firstmentioned end portion being coaxial with and located between two of the pulleys which cooperates with said two belts; moving means cooperating with said form for moving a tube of fabric in which the form is located longitudinally along said form so that the fabric is transversely expanded while it moves along said form; and band means adjacent said form for gripping the tube of fabric to prevent longitudinal contraction thereof.

5. In an apparatus for manufacturing a finished knitted 10 tubular fabric which is shrink-proof, in combination, an expansion form adapted to be located within a tube of unfinished knitted fabric for transversely expanding the same; moving means cooperating with said form for mov- I ing a tube of fabric in which the form is located longitudinally along said form so that the fabric is transversely expanded while it moves along said form; a pair of band means adjacent said form for receiving the tube of fabric therefrom and for transporting the fabric from said form, said pair of band means engaging each other and gripping the tube of fabric therebetween to prevent longitudinal contraction of the tube of fabric; means cooperating with a portion of one of said band means for locating said portion thereof at a predetermined distance from an opposite portion of the other of said band means to provide a predetermined gap between said portions of said pair of band means, respectively, in which the tube of fabric is capable of contracting transversely in a controlled manner while being longitudinally transported by said pair of band means, said means which locates said portion of said one band means at a predetermined distance from said portion of said other band means including sprocket wheels engaging said portion of said one band means for moving said portion thereof away from said opposite portion of the other of said band means and an adjustable plate against which said portion of said one band means is pressed by said sprocket wheels; and fixing means located along the path through which said pair of band means moves the tube of fabric for fixing the latter to prevent further changes in the loops of the knitted fabric after the fabric moves beyond said fixing means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,339,151 Cohn et al Jan. 11, 1944 2,350,071 Shields May 30, 1944 2,583,630 Chatfield Jan. 29, 1952 2,588,624 Evans Mar. 11, 1952 2,589,344 Cohn et al Mar. 18, 1952 2,589,345 Cohn et al Mar. 18, 1952 2,591,903 Yost Apr. 8, 1952 2,597,528 Redman May 20, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 203,764 Great Britain Sept. 10, 1923 

1. IN AN APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING A FINISHED KNITTED TUBULAR FABRIC WHICH IS SHRINK-PROOF, IN COMBINATION, AN EXPANSION FORM ADAPTED TO BE LOCATED WITHIN A TUBE OF UNFINISHED KNITTED FABRIC FOR TRANSVERSELY EXPANDING THE SAME; MOVING MEANS COOPERATING WITH SAID FORM FOR MOVING A TUBE OF FABRIC IN WHICH THE FORM IS LOCATED LONGITUDINALLY ALONG SAID FORM SO THAT THE FABRIC IS TRANSVERSELY EXPANDED WHILE IT MOVES ALONG SAID FORM; A PAIR OF BAND MEANS ADJACENT SAID FORM FOR RECEIVING THE TUBE OF FABRIC THEREFROM AND FOR TRANSPORTING THE FABRIC FROM SAID FORM, SAID PAIR OF BAND MEANS ENGAGING EACH OTHER AND GRIPPING THE TUBE OF FABRIC THEREBETWEEN TO PREVENT LONGITUDINAL CONTRACTION OF THE TUBE OF FABRIC; MEANS COOPERATING WITH A PORTION OF ONE OF SAID BAND MEANS FOR LOCATING SAID PORTION THEREOF AT A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE FROM AN OPPOSITE PORTION OF THE OTHER OF SAID BAND MEANS TO PROVIDE A PREDETERMINED GAP BETWEEN SAID PORTIONS OF SAID PAIR OF BAND MEANS, RESPECTIVELY, IN WHICH THE TUBE OF FABRIC IS CAPABLE OF CONTRACTING TRANSVERSELY IN A CONTROLLED MANNER WHILE BEING LONGITUDINALLY TRANSPORTED BY SAID PAIR OF BAND MEANS; FIXING MEANS LOCATED ALONG THE PATH THROUGH WHICH SAID PAIR OF BAND MEANS MOVE THE TUBE OF FABRIC FOR FIXING THE LATTER TO PREVENT FURTHER CHANGES IN THE LOOPS OF THE KNITTED FABRIC AFTER THE FABRIC MOVES BEYOND SAID FIXING MEANS; AND FINISHING MEANS LOCATED ALONG SAID PATH THROUGH WHICH SAID PAIR OF BAND MEANS MOVES THE TUBE OF FABRIC AFTER SAID FIXING MEANS FOR FINISHING THE FABRIC AFTER IT IS MOVED BEYOND SAID FIXING MEANS BY SAID PAIR OF BAND MEANS. 